Breastfeeding and school

[Clep]

I am wondering what people out there think about continuing breastfeeding when a child is starting preschool and going into the school system to kindergarten?

[Clep]

Should have asked if there has been anyone out there that has done this and had it successful?

[Enchanted Girl]

I'm not as judgmental as other people are about it. I don't think it's necessary because we know a lot about nutrients and things, but in third world countries, it actually helps the children grow up more healthy, the longer they breast feed for.

 

It's just, I think some mother's might do this for their own benefit, because they don't want their child to grow-up rather than for the good of the child, but what boundaries you should set in this area is going to vary from person to person.

[donnamaybe]

From a psychological standpoint, I can't think this could be good for a child. Kindergarten and pre-school are all about socialization skills and learning to be autonomous from the parents.

[GorillaTheater]

My wife always approached this from the standpoint of allowing the child to wean themselves. When they stopped asking to nurse, she stopped nursing them. I think one or two of them nursed until the age of 3, and even then it was only right before they went to bed (more of a calming thing than an actual meal).

 

It's completely a matter of personal choice, though I admit to having some reservations about nursing a kindergartner.

[califnan]

It certainly does seem unnecessary .. unless the family has no food, and no other source of nourishment for the child..

 

Other than that, I haven't known of any women who could keep it up that long..

 

Milk is mostly a nourishment for babies .. then they are supposed to grow into real foods - subsidized only, by milk ..

[Clep]

My wife always approached this from the standpoint of allowing the child to wean themselves. When they stopped asking to nurse, she stopped nursing them. I think one or two of them nursed until the age of 3, and even then it was only right before they went to bed (more of a calming thing than an actual meal).

 

It's completely a matter of personal choice, though I admit to having some reservations about nursing a kindergartner.

 

Did your children ever go to day care, day home or preschool while breast fed?

[bananalaffytaffy]

If a child is old enough to eat "people food," then they are old enough to stop breastfeeding.

 

I don't think the point of this thread is about nutrition, because how often do you hear of a mother taking pumped breast milk to her child's preschool? I've never heard of it.

 

I once knew of a woman that breast fed her child until she was six years old, and had another child. I think the only reason she stopped is because one of the 6-year old's friends witnessed it and the made fun of her to all the kids at school.

[GorillaTheater]

Did your children ever go to day care, day home or preschool while breast fed?

 

Nope, so I guess I'm really of very little help.

[Stung]

If a child is old enough to eat "people food," then they are old enough to stop breastfeeding.

 

Many babies start on semi-solid at six months and have progressed to eating people food by nine or ten months.

 

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding (along with complementary foods) until at least the age of two years. I have read other recommendations for continuing until age four, but those are usually for countries where proper nutrition is harder to come by.

 

OP, I have known plenty of women who sent pumped milk with their child to daycare, and breastfed at night. I have not personally known of anyone to continue doing this through pre-school and kindergarten, however. I do think there's a certain point at which the value of 'normal' socialization wins out over the benefits of breastfeeding, unless there's a real medical reason to continue.

[TheLoneSock]

In my opinion, breastfeeding should not go on past 12-14 months. They should be successfully weened off by then. After that, if it's still breast milk that you want them to take instead of formula, you can always use a pump. Solids and regular (non RBST, non fat) milk should most definitely be the norm by the time they hit kindergarten.

[Stung]

After that, if it's still breast milk that you want them to take instead of formula, you can always use a pump.

 

 

Just to address this part alone, not every woman can successfully use a pump. Some women find it painful, others don't get the full 'let down' reflex with a pump as they do with their baby.

[Clep]

Many babies start on semi-solid at six months and have progressed to eating people food by nine or ten months.

 

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding (along with complementary foods) until at least the age of two years. I have read other recommendations for continuing until age four, but those are usually for countries where proper nutrition is harder to come by.

 

OP, I have known plenty of women who sent pumped milk with their child to daycare, and breastfed at night. I have not personally known of anyone to continue doing this through pre-school and kindergarten, however. I do think there's a certain point at which the value of 'normal' socialization wins out over the benefits of breastfeeding, unless there's a real medical reason to continue.

 

Thanks. I find people starting their children earlier and earlier in school. I know more than fifteen and under thirty people that are sending their children to Montessori preschool at the age of two. There is a place close to my house that does it. Breastfed children are not accepted there, nor does she potty teach for the half a day children are there. They have to be in a diaper or pull up until they are fully potty taught.

 

I run a day home and many of my children go there Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday mornings. It seems with how early we are socializing our children now, weaning has become a requirement earlier unless mom is pumping.

 

I have found children who are breast fed past the age of around 18 months survive in a day care setting, but not thrive. I see the socialization, independence and autonomy from mom required for this type of setting to be stunted. I have found that they spend lots of time pining for mom and rightly so. They have had mom's breast for comfort (it is not for nutrition if they can use a fork and spoon) and now at the time they have gone to a new scary place, they have lost their most important source of comfort at the same time. I think the developmental stages they start to go through play a strong role here as well, as I don't see that before 18 months.

 

I guess I have a hard time with the idea of breast feeding when a child does not have access to mom all day. If mom pumped and fed her child with a bottle for a month or so before the day care transition that would help alleviate the issues. Maybe also provide a cuddle toy so when they go to day care they can have a feeling of comfort even if mom isn't around.

 

I find it interesting though for a parent to send their child to preschool at two years old and still breast feed. Aren't we supposed to walk before we run.....you know, one milestone before another.

 

If a child is staying home with mom though who cares, except when school starts I think. I am speaking of the traditional preschool starting at four.

[Clep]

Just to address this part alone, not every woman can successfully use a pump. Some women find it painful, others don't get the full 'let down' reflex with a pump as they do with their baby.

 

I used a pump and it was painful. For me it was better than breastfeeding though.

[D-Lish]

I used to work with a woman that breast fed her children until they were 4. To the rest of us, the whole thing was creepy. She preached the merits on a daily basis, and the rest of us just stayed clear of her because she was a big fat weirdo.

[sb129]

Just to address this part alone, not every woman can successfully use a pump. Some women find it painful, others don't get the full 'let down' reflex with a pump as they do with their baby.

Not to mention its time consuming and a pain in the butt.

 

I did this for three months when I went back to work after having my daughter and it was exhausting. I still fed her myself when I was at home.

It was great to have my body back- my daughter was fully breastfed until 5.5 mths when she started solid food. She is now on formula and three meals of "people" food and she is definitely NOT lacking nutritionally!

 

I have found children who are breast fed past the age of around 18 months survive in a day care setting, but not thrive. I see the socialization, independence and autonomy from mom required for this type of setting to be stunted. I have found that they spend lots of time pining for mom and rightly so. They have had mom's breast for comfort (it is not for nutrition if they can use a fork and spoon) and now at the time they have gone to a new scary place, they have lost their most important source of comfort at the same time. I think the developmental stages they start to go through play a strong role here as well, as I don't see that before 18 months..

 

Interesting viewpoint, there is alot of sense in what you are saying.

[Stung]

I used a pump and it was painful. For me it was better than breastfeeding though.

 

Not to mention its time consuming and a pain in the butt.

.

 

Yes, I tried for months to pump for my son and in the end I just couldn't. It was painful and it took forever and I never really produced much milk that way, although I always had enough for my son. It didn't matter that much in the end as I have always been home with him.

 

He does nurse for comfort and I was never able to switch his focus to a lovey or a pacificier, he wasn't interested. He also refused to take a bottle until he was a year old, and to this day still HATES formula and cow's milk and soy milk, refuses them violently. Since he has always been borderline underweight and needed the milkfats, and had some reflux problems when he was younger, his doctors advised me to just keep nursing him. Since I live in a pretty liberal granola area where breastfeeding for the first 2-3 years is common, and I had the option of staying home, it worked out okay.

 

He's 19 months now and still a little beanpole but the docs have finally admitted that's just the way he is, a skinny guy. He's always eaten meat and fruit and veg but he has finally started eating some yogurt and cheese so he gets milkfats that way, and so I've started to cut down on his nursing schedule. He's very grumpy about it and to be honest I have some mixed feelings about it, I love the bond and providing comfort to him especially when he is sick, but honestly I would really like a little more freedom than is possible for me until he is weaned. Plus I want to be able to take my migraine meds again

 

I am planning on putting him in daycare a couple days a week when he is 2, and he should be fully weaned by then. I'm not weaning him super suddenly though as I do think that would be really sad and hard for him. I think daycare will be good for his social skills and that the medical benefits of nursing him are mostly over with by this point. I would personally not choose to try to continue breastfeeding while he was in preschool or Kindergarten, for sure. I have known a few women who did, mostly women from "third world" countries where extended breastfeeding was the cultural norm as it was sometimes the only source of nutrition. As far as I know those women didn't pump during the day however but only nursed once or twice in the evening. I had a good friend who nursed her daughter until she was almost 3, and she did pump every day for her daycare and then nursed her directly at night. I don't know, I couldn't do that, the pump hurt too much for me.

 

I saw a documentary piece about a woman who still nursed her eight year old, and her other child (can't remember the age of that one), and her husband right alongside them. Now that hit my creepy-meter. No thanks on becoming the family cow.

[SweetD]

Very interesting point you make about causing serious disruption to the nursing child who is away from his mom. Although for some of the children who are older (2-3) and only nurse at night before bedtime, may not miss the "comfort" of mom's breast while at daycare.

[Clep]

Very interesting point you make about causing serious disruption to the nursing child who is away from his mom. Although for some of the children who are older (2-3) and only nurse at night before bedtime, may not miss the "comfort" of mom's breast while at daycare.

 

In my experience you are correct. I find that the children it causes problems for are the children that are accustomed to mom's breast to put them to sleep, to comfort them often. Kind of like a human pacifier. It happens often I have found. If they are eating food and even if mom was to put breast milk for me to give them in a sippy or bottle things usually are just fine for those children.

[Clep]

Since I live in a pretty liberal granola area where breastfeeding for the first 2-3 years is common, and I had the option of staying home, it worked out okay.

 

I am planning on putting him in daycare a couple days a week when he is 2, and he should be fully weaned by then. I'm not weaning him super suddenly though as I do think that would be really sad and hard for him. I think daycare will be good for his social skills and that the medical benefits of nursing him are mostly over with by this point.

 

I had a good friend who nursed her daughter until she was almost 3, and she did pump every day for her daycare and then nursed her directly at night. I don't know, I couldn't do that, the pump hurt too much for me.

 

I saw a documentary piece about a woman who still nursed her eight year old, and her other child (can't remember the age of that one), and her husband right alongside them. Now that hit my creepy-meter. No thanks on becoming the family cow.

 

What you are saying sounds so logical to me and like you are preparing your child for the transition that is about to come. Kudos to you!!!!

 

Your friend sounds like she had a good system. Lots of work, but her child had all her needs met.

 

I saw a documentary much the same about two children eight and twelve. I am not at all sure why mom would make such a decision. By the time children are even as old as the eight year old they are aware of sexuality. That is the part that creeps me out.

[txsilkysmoothe]

I know it varies geographically, but where I live children start kindergarten at the age of 5 and pre-school at the age of 3 or 4. I think these ages are way too old for breastfeeding.

 

If they have teeth, they are ready for solid foods.

 

Furthermore, breastfeeding isn't always adequate. I gave birth to two 8.5 pound babies 11 years apart. In both instances, their pediatricians instructed me to supplement breastfeeding with baby formula due to concerns that breastfeeding alone would not sustain the growth of already large babies. I would think as a baby gets older, breastfeeding becomes less and less adequate to meet the child's needs.

[sb129]

Most older babies eat solid food as well as milk feeds (formula/breast).

 

The WHO recommends babies start a diet of solid food by six months, gradually building up to three meals a day plus snacks and cutting back milk feeds until they are down to one at night.

So for a child older than 12mths they should be getting most of their nutrition from food rather than milk. So I would say that its mainly a comfort thing for older babies/children.

[Stung]

What you are saying sounds so logical to me and like you are preparing your child for the transition that is about to come. Kudos to you!!!!

 

Your friend sounds like she had a good system. Lots of work, but her child had all her needs met.

 

I saw a documentary much the same about two children eight and twelve. I am not at all sure why mom would make such a decision. By the time children are even as old as the eight year old they are aware of sexuality. That is the part that creeps me out.

 

Thanks. Cutting down on his nursing schedule is proving really difficult, because as you mentioned in another post, he has taken to using me as a human pacifier. Right from the beginning he violently refused pacifiers and bottles and never cared for security blankets or teddies and the like, he just wanted me. But I definitely don't want him to go without and feel scared and deprived at daycare, so it feels like it's time. And I don't think it's necessarily healthy, past a certain age, to continue to use mommy as a human pacifier, anyway. Obviously I still want to be there to rain down the hugs and kisses.

 

I'm not looking forward to his first cold post-wean.

[fooled once]

I am wondering what people out there think about continuing breastfeeding when a child is starting preschool and going into the school system to kindergarten?

 

Honestly, I think it is not healthy or good for a preschool old child to be breastfeeding. IMHO breastfeeding should stop at a year. When a kid is old enough to walk up to mom and pull up her shirt and latch himself/herself onto the breast, it is too old. I think mom's who breastfeed past a year old are doing it for them, not for the kid.

[sb129]

 

I'm not looking forward to his first cold post-wean.

 

I wished I was still breastfeeding today, my daughter has a horrible cold and she was miserable.